Andrea, a young man from the provinces, leaves his home, his friends and his girlfriend to go to the city in search of new intellectual satisfactions that he believes he can no longer find in his small world. The young idealist meets Eleonora, a beautiful woman romantically linked to Luca, a rich and unscrupulous businessman, and becomes his lover. In order to live forever next to Andrea, Eleonora does not hesitate to abandon Luca and the luxurious life that he allowed her. The death of Eleonora in a car accident, however, abruptly cuts off Andrea's dreams of happiness, who returns to his provincial town, where he finds his fiancée waiting for him and comforting him.

Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.